Vertical spin of a golf ball can generate lifting forces on the golf ball that can influence the golf ball's travel height and/or travel distance when hit with a golf club. For example, increasing vertical spin on the golf ball can increase the lifting forces on the golf ball, thereby increasing the travel height and/or decreasing the travel distance of the golf ball. Meanwhile, decreasing vertical spin on the golf ball can decrease the lifting forces on the golf ball, thereby decreasing the travel height and/or increasing the travel distance of the golf ball.
The coefficient of restitution (COR) of a club face of a club head of the golf club that hits the golf ball also can influence the travel speed of the golf ball, thereby influencing the golf ball's travel distance. COR refers to a relationship of the energy transfer of two colliding objects (e.g., the club face and the golf ball) and can be represented as a ratio of the relative speed of the objects after collision over the relative speed of the objects before collision. As COR depends on the relative speed of the objects before and after collision, it follows that the velocity with which the club face impacts the golf ball can affect the COR of the club face. In general, increasing the COR of the club face can increase travel speed of the golf ball, thereby increasing travel distance of the golf ball, and decreasing the COR of the club face can decrease travel speed of the golf ball, thereby decreasing travel distance of the golf ball.
Different travel distances and/or travel heights may be desired for different golf shots, to achieve different results. For example, for longer shots, a higher COR of the club face and/or less vertical spin (i.e., less lift) of the golf ball may be desirable; whereas, for shorter shots and/or for more accurate shots, a lower COR of the club face and/or more vertical spin (i.e., more lift) of the golf ball may be desirable. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a golf club head able to provide differing impact responses (e.g., COR of a club face of the golf club head and/or vertical spin of a golf ball hit with the golf club head) for higher and lower forces of impact between the golf club head and the golf ball. As a result, different golf shots can be achieved with the golf club head by adjusting the force of impact between the golf club head and the golf ball.
For simplicity and clarity of illustration, the drawing figures illustrate the general manner of construction, and descriptions and details of well-known features and techniques may be omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the invention. Additionally, elements in the drawing figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention. The same reference numerals in different figures denote the same elements.
The terms “first,” “second,” “third,” “fourth,” and the like in the description and in the claims, if any, are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a particular sequential or chronological order. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments described herein are, for example, capable of operation in sequences other than those illustrated or otherwise described herein. Furthermore, the terms “include,” and “have,” and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, system, article, device, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to those elements, but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, system, article, device, or apparatus.
The terms “left,” “right,” “front,” “back,” “top,” “bottom,” “over,” “under,” and the like in the description and in the claims, if any, are used for descriptive purposes and not necessarily for describing permanent relative positions. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments of the invention described herein are, for example, capable of operation in other orientations than those illustrated or otherwise described herein.
The absence of the word “removably,” “removable,” and the like near the word “coupled,” and the like does not mean that the coupling, etc. in question is or is not removable.